Russell Crowe to portray Noah in upcoming Noah's Ark big-screen movie

"I'd like to thank Paramount and Regency for backing my team's work to breathe new life into the biblical epic. I rejoice that Russell Crowe will be by my side on this adventure. It's his immense talent that helps me to sleep at night. I look forward to being wowed by him every day," Aronofsky said in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter Monday.

Paramount Pictures set a release date of March 28, 2014 for its version of the classic story -- about the man who heeds God's warning and builds an ark to save as many creatures as possible when a disastrous flood comes. Production is slated to begin this summer in Iceland and New York.